Ladder holder



May 18, 1937. Q B|XEL 2,080,527

LADDER HOLDER Filed March 13, 1936 ATTORNEY Patented May 18, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE LADDER HOLDER Application March 13, 1936, Serial No. 68,735

Y 2 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved arrangement for holding ladders in position upon the sides of automotive apparatus such as trucks, which trucks may be used for electric installation, repair or other work.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a holder for ladders or grouped sections of ladders whereby they may be mounted in rigid position upon the side of a truck so that accidental displacement or rattling is prevented.

Another object is to provide holding means which will permit the ready attachment or detachment of the ladders or ladder sections.

These and further objects will beapparent from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing in which one embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

Referring to the drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation of an automotive truck showing the improved ladder holder applied thereto; Fig. 2 is an end view of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the improved holder.

In the drawing, a motor truck of well-known character is shown in dotted lines. This truck isillustrated as being provided with the usual drivers cab 5 from which a. truck body portion extends. This body portion has side panels 6 which, though appearing in the present instance as being slightly inclined, may be vertical if so desired, The ladder or ladder sections are carried on one or the other or both sides of these side panels by means of the improved holder of this invention.

The improved holders, for the purpose of illustration, are shown as comprising a lower and an upper pair of brackets. The lower brackets I are of substantially L-formation and their horizontal legs may be fixed by rivets or the like to a flange extending outwardly from the side-panel 6, while vertical portions of said brackets engage the lower rails of ladder sections 8 and .9.

The upper pair'of brackets for the holder each comprise a frame member. ID having a triangular portion from which a vertical arm H extends. One side of the triangular portion is suitably affixed to the inclined side panel 6 of the truck body, and a diagonally extending portion connects the aflixed side of the triangular portion to a third or substantially horizontal portion. This horizontal portion forms a support for the upper rail of the ladder section 9 while the ver tical arms II of the upper brackets, with the cooperation of the lower bracket I, prevent the outward displacement of the ladder or ladder sections from the truck. The pairs of brackets I and H) are so disposed on the side panel 6 with respect to each other that ladder sections of standard size may register therewith as just outlined. To care for any width variations in the 5 ladder sections which may be encountered, the

brackets I0 may be slotted as shown at 12 in Fig. 3.

A clamp 13, as more clearly shown in Fig. 3, is associated with each of the upper brackets I 0. 10 This clamp includes a lower set of levers l4, l4 and an upper set of levers l5, l5 which sets of levers are pivotally connected to each other at IS. A handle H is connected to the bifurcated portion of the lower set of levers and serves to op- 15 erate the sets of levers to clamped and released positions, as will presently appear. Angular arms [8 extend from the bifurcated portions of the levers I4 at their pivotal points and their extremities of said arms are interconnected by a pin [9. This pin extends through and is adapted to move in slots provided in the sides of a member 20 whichis suitably afiixed by welding or otherwise to the diagonal portion of the frame member H). A bolt 2| is connected to the pin 25 H by means of a tubular cross-head 22. The bolt extends through an opening in a strap 23 provided at the bottom of the slotted member 20, and a nut is threaded on the end of the bolt 2| and serves to adjust the tension of spring 24.

The other or upper set of levers l 5 extends upwardly from their pivotal connections l6 and operate the clamp to a released position the han- 45 die I! is rotated outwardly from the truck and raised. This operation releases the tension in the spring and also releases the upper set of levers. Under this condition the connecting crossbars of the upper set of levers may be swung out over the vertical arm H of the frame member ID, and when so swung the levers l5, 15 will rotate about their pivotal connections and assume a vertical position with the hooked portions 25, 25 thereof lying at the bottom. In this position of the clamp,

the ladder or ladder sections may be placed on case the levers I5, I5'and handle I I are raised until the crossbars connecting the hook ends of said levers can be swung over the top or the vertical 5 arm I I and down upon the rail oi the ladder with which they are to be engaged. The handle is then pulled downward and rotated in a counter-clockwise direction toward the truck body, thus setting up tension in the spring and clamping the ladder or ladder sections in place.

While the arrangements of this invention have been illustrated and described as being of a certain specific form which has been deemed desirable, it will be understood that it is capable of embodiment in other and widely varied forms without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims."

What is claimed is:

1. A supporting bracket having a surface upon which an object to be supported may rest, an overthrow lever having a slot and pin connec-' tion with said bracket, a clamp member pivoted to the overthrow lever intermediate the ends of said lever and adapted to clamp the object upon 5 the support, and tension means so arranged as to exert tension upon the pin connection upon which the lever is pivoted in such direction as to hold the clamp member in clamping position.

2. A supporting bracket having a surface upon which an object to be supported may rest, a slotted member carried by the bracket, an operating lever slidably pivoted in the opening of the slotted member, a hooked member pivoted to said operating lever and adapted to clamp the 15 object upon the support, and tension means so arranged as to exert tension upon the operating lever to hold it in an overthrown position so as to hold the hooked member in clamping position.

' EDWARD c. BIXEL. 

